


Which Road

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [38]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: 25DaysofKlaroline, Alternate Universe - Historical, Childhood Friends, Conversations, F/M, Growing Up Together, Set in The Original's village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-10 19:46:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5598550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Walking farther then he had realized Klaus finds himself on the land that belongs to the Forbes women. Caroline kindly offers him supper, and more honestly than he had anticipated. But Klaus finds that he does not mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Which Road**

**(Written for Day 19 - Human Klaus Time of the 25DaysofKlaroline event on Tumblr. Prompt from queenvampirebarbie: Caroline grew up with the Mikaelson's and are practically part of their family. Caroline is finally of marriage age. FLUFFY! Title from 'Landlocked Blues' by Bright Eyes. Rated K+).**

Klaus had no concept of how long he has walked, or how far. He pays no attention direction, merely avoids anywhere he risks running into other people, his strides long and purposeful. He needs the distance.

He had to get away.

From his father, from the villagers who looked at him with pity, or worse. From Rebekah fussing at him, and Kol attempting to be jovial. From Elijah. From Tatia and her divided attentions.

He thinks fleetingly of leaving. Of finding a way back to the old world. Because surely, whatever his parents had said, it could be no worse than this?

But Klaus dismisses the idea, almost as soon as it is fully formed.

If he were to leave, who knows where Mikael would turn the brunt of his anger and disappointment? His father is brusque with Kol, and tolerant of Henrik. But rarely harsh. Would that change, with Klaus gone?

He cannot risk it. But it is a nice dream.

Klaus only pauses when the sun begins to set, knowing he has missed the evening meal. Hardly the first time, and he wonders if it would be so bad, to sleep outside, and head back in the morning. Whatever punishment Mikael metes out would be worth it, Klaus thinks. For freedom, if only for a single night.

Klaus is startled out of his musings, by a movement in his periphery. And then he hears the growls. Low and menacing, followed by sharp barks.

He turns slowly, and is relieved to see a pair of herding dogs. Not overly large, though they seem to be agitated, hackles raised and teeth bared. Klaus crouches, holds out his hands. One inches forward cautiously, sniffing, before allowing Klaus to lay his hand on its head.

He gives the dog's ears a scratch, glancing around to get his bearings. He's left the village proper, and has wandered on to one of the surrounding farms. One he recognizes, as he'd often been sent to it, to fetch Rebekah, before she'd been old enough to be trusted to make the trek herself.

The second dog approaches, tail wagging gently, and Klaus gives her the same attention, "Rosta, Geri," he greets fondly, recalling their names. "You will have to forgive me for not recognizing you, hmm? You were little more than pups, the last time I was out here."

Rosta flops onto her side, and Klaus obligingly rubs her offered belly, assuming he has been forgiven.

A whistle sounds, from the direction of the stone cottage, and both dogs perk up, once more beginning to bark. A figure rounds the corner, loose blonde waves bright in the fading light. He knows it is Caroline then. In the sixteen or so years since the Forbes family arrived in this village, Klaus has never once seen Liz without her hair tightly pulled back.

He stands, dusting off his knees. He's about to offer a greeting, but Caroline beats him to it, her voice hard and demanding, "Who's there?"

She's got a lantern in one hand, and metal glints in the other. The dogs leave Klaus' side, circling her.

"I mean you no harm, Caroline," Klaus calls over, taking slow steps in her direction. "I've just wandered a bit far."

She raises her light higher, as Klaus steps into it. He spies an axe in her hand but she relaxes, once she sees his face. "Far is understating it. And I do not appreciate the fright, Niklaus," Caroline admonishes.

Klaus bows his head, in apology, "Forgive me."

"I suppose I can. What brings you all the way out here?" Caroline asks, her blue eyes bright and curious.

"Nothing. I was just walking. Lost track of the time." It's a deflection, one he's hoping she'll accept.

A brief look of understanding softens Caroline's features, "Have you eaten? You'll never make it home in time for supper. And I imagine there's rarely much left on your family's table, with so many mouths to feed."

Caroline makes the offer casually, no pity in her tone, and Klaus finds himself agreeing, "Between Kol and Henrik there will hardly be a crumb to be found."

A quick smile lights her face, and Klaus finds himself staring at her, rather more intently then he thinks he should. He's known Caroline since she was tiny, barely two years old. She'd taken to Rebekah immediately, the two of them close in age. They'd been constantly underfoot as children, noisy and always wanting to be doing what Klaus and Kol had been.

When he thinks of Caroline Forbes he thinks of haphazard braids, gangly limbs. He remembers freckles and cheeks turned pink by wind and sun, boisterous giggles and incessant questions. A love of climbing trees and a distaste for standing still.

He'd not noticed that she'd grown up, until this very moment, and Klaus wonders how that's possible. Her face blossomed into true beauty. And the soft curves of her hips and bust, plainly visible despite the long dress she wears, reveal there's nothing childish about her any longer.

Klaus realizes that he's been silent for too long, and that it is quite possible that she will have noted that his regard has turned admiring.

If Caroline has, she makes no mention of it, there is no hint of shyness or simpering in her expectant posture, "My mother's been ill, so it is not grand. Just bread and soup but I am happy to share."

Klaus clears his throat, and nods, finding a reply difficult to form. A first for him, in Caroline's presence.

She turns, motioning for him to follow, and the dogs bound at their heels. "Would you like me to take those?" Klaus asks finally, motioning to her hands. It's only polite, he thinks, even as he cringes at the stilted way the offer emerges.

Caroline shoots him a questioning look, before handing him the lantern, "I'll keep the axe, if you don't mind. My mother prefers me to be armed, in the company of strange men."

She says it with a laugh, and Klaus finds himself grinning back. He'd wager that Caroline is more than proficient, at yielding the axe. He wouldn't be surprised if she knew her way around blades and bows as well. Elizabeth Forbes scoffed at the idea that women should rely on men for protection, something his father had often derided her for in private.

He knows that Rebekah carries a small knife, gifted to her on her sixteenth birthday, courtesy of Caroline's mother.

"Smart woman, your mother," Klaus comments approvingly, "I hope her sickness is not serious?"

"No, she's on the mend. Tried to go out and tend to the animals herself, but I insisted she go to bed early. Harvest will be soon enough, and she'll run herself ragged."

Caroline sounds exasperated, and Klaus could only imagine how that conversation had gone. Caroline was headstrong, a trait she seemed to have inherited from her mother. When William Forbes had died, his young widow had been inundated with offers for her hand. Liz had refused them all, and proven those would whispered that she'd be destitute and begging wrong. The Forbes women managed their farm, and their livestock, all on their own, and had managed to prosper, silencing all doubters and earning respect.

Liz had been refusing offers for Caroline's hand, and a share of their wealth, since Caroline's fourteenth birthday, or so the rumors went.

Looking at Caroline now, Klaus assumed that those offers were not purely made in the hopes of a comfortable future. A man could do far worse, for a wife.

"You are awfully pensive this evening, Niklaus," Caroline says, nudging him with her elbow, and breaking him from his thoughts.

Klaus shakes his head, pressing his arm into hers, "Perhaps I'm just waiting for you to begin chattering, love. It's what I'm used to, and it would be impolite to refuse to listen, since you have offered me food."

The look she favors him with, as they reach the door to her home, is narrow eyed and unimpressed. She shoos the dogs away, and they dart off towards the fields. "That seemed like an insult. And I'm certain that's not polite either."

"Not an insult a statement of fact," Klaus teases gently.

"Perhaps I've matured," Caroline shoots back.

"Perhaps," Klaus agrees, with a laugh, marveling at how closely her words had mirrored his thoughts. He sets the lantern on the rough wooden table in the center of the room. Caroline grabs a candle, lights it, and several others, before she busies herself in stoking the fire.

"The soup will take a few minutes to heat," she tells him, sinking into a chair and gesturing to the one across from her.

Klaus takes it, his eyes drawn to her face, in the low light. He notes the freckles are still there, though they are fewer in number, and that her skin is fair and lovely.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Caroline blurts out. Her lashes drop, as soon as the sentence is out, teeth biting down on her lower lip. "I mean…" she stammers, before falling silent once more. She darts a quick glance up, before looking away, shifting restlessly. "Forget I said that. I should not have. I'm being silly. And fanciful. And improper. And I am trying to stop all of that."

"Why?" Klaus asks, genuinely curious.

Caroline sighs, her eyes rolling towards the ceiling. Her fingers knot together on the table, "Because I'm not a child any longer. I have responsibilities. My mother says I can take my time, in choosing a husband. But the work grows harder for her every year. I would like to ease that burden, and marrying seems the best way. The only way."

"I fail to see what one thing has to do with the other, sweetheart."

Caroline huffs, the sound slightly disdainful, "Of course _you_ wouldn't. Those who have offered for me have been the wrong kind of men. They want what I can give them. They would be more of a hindrance, then a help, in the long run. And maybe the right sort wants something different. Someone more… docile."

Klaus struggles to turn his disbelieving snort into a cough. He's unsuccessful, given the stiffening of Caroline's shoulders, the angry line her lips are pressed into. He doesn't think that Caroline has even a passing acquaintance with such a thing as docility. As bright and willful as she is, it's a wonder to Klaus that she would even think to attempt it.

"I think," Klaus begins, choosing his words carefully, "that the right sort of man would not want you to stifle yourself, would he?"

"I will not know until I try, will I?" Caroline snaps back, standing up to tend to the pot over the hearth.

It bothers Klaus, the idea of her trying. It is not his concern, but he cannot seem to brush the thought aside. He tries a different tactic, "Would your mother be happy, knowing you were not?"

Her spine straightens, and a vigorous stir sends liquid hissing into the fire, "I could make her think I was happy."

"I doubt it," Klaus tells her. Elizabeth Forbes is an observant woman, and fiercely protective of her only child.

"I would thank you," Caroline mutters, her back still to him, "not to meddle in my affairs. I think yours are messy enough."

It is a pointed statement, and more than mildly judgmental, and Klaus finds himself bristling. "And what would you know of that?"

"Women talk, Niklaus," she tells him, dripping condescension, her movement's jerky as she ladles soup into a bowl. She sets it down in front of him with a clang, before returning to her seat. "Few more then Tatia. I have never encountered a more boastful person. I know far more of you, and Elijah, and your appetites, then I care to."

Klaus feels his ears heat, and anger gnaws at him, at the idea that others are privy to what he had believed to be private moments. He stares into the bowl in front of him, reaches for the spoon Caroline had set in front of him mechanically.

Klaus begins to eat, and the silence becomes heavy, the only sounds he hears are Caroline's even breaths, and the crackling of the fire.

"She's very… complimentary," Caroline ventures. "If that helps."

"It does not," Klaus clips. Caroline looks guilty, when he chances a glance up, and he softens. "But I believe that it is better that I know that Tatia has been free with her words. Does Rebekah…"

Caroline shakes her head in vehement denial, "Oh, no. She is careful to be discrete, when Bekah's in earshot. Likely because she knows that Rebekah may very well claw her pretty brown eyes out."

That pulls a smile from Klaus, and Caroline returns it tentatively.

Caroline bites her lip again, a tinge of nerves plain in her expression, "And since I have already failed at impressing you with my ability to be ladylike and reserved, may I say one more thing?"

"You may," Klaus replies, cautious but interested.

"You deserve better," Caroline says, serious and fervent. "Then Tatia Petrova's changeable heart. You and Elijah both. It's not fair, what she's doing. And it is not right."

Klaus knows that he should be defending Tatia, defending what he feels for her. But his mouth is dry, and the excuses stick in his throat.

He takes a few more bites of soup, before he pushes the bowl away. "I should be going. Thank you for dinner."

She smiles softly, and stands to see him to the door. Klaus steps outside, but feels compelled to turn back. He grabs her hand, and squeezes, trying to express his gratitude when he speaks, "Thank you. For your honesty." Caroline's eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. Klaus leans in, before she can formulate a reply, brushes his lips against her cheek, taking an extra moment to enjoy the scent of her skin, and the warmth of her so near to him.

He pulls back, notes the stunned look on Caroline's face, her fingertips reaching up to touch the spot on her cheek where his mouth had just been. He's not sure what had possessed him, just knows that the time spent in Caroline's company has been enjoyable. Few people would think Klaus deserves better, than what he has. It warms him, that Caroline's one of them. His dark mood had all but evaporated and he has a sneaking suspicion that he'll be seeking her out again. That he won't be able to help himself.

"Goodnight, Caroline," Klaus murmurs.

She echoes him, quiet and maybe a bit dazed. He doesn't hear the door close, and when he looks back, at the edge of her property, he can see her standing there, the faint glow of firelight outlining her figure.

Klaus smiles to himself and takes his time, walking back to the village, lost in his own thoughts once again. Much different ones, this time. Of Caroline and her sharp tongue and vibrant eyes.

Of new discoveries and possibilities.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Day One (Feels) of the Klaroline Valentine's Weekend event on Tumblr.

It is far easier then Klaus had expected, in the end, to let Tatia go. She passes him several days after his conversation with Caroline, gives him the look he has come to covet, the one that means she wishes for him to follow her deep in to the woods, where they won't be disturbed. And he does so willingly. But he stills her wandering hands, when she presses him against a tree. Because there is a question he needs answered, one he's not stopped dwelling on.

"Have you been speaking to the other women in the village about us?"

She appears shocked for a moment, before her dark eyes turn wide and beseeching, "It is the way of women, Niklaus. I only want them to know that you are mine." Tatia presses her body into his, and perhaps once he would have been swayed by her tempting curves. By her lush mouth, so near the skin of his throat.

But not with Caroline's words ringing in his mind. She had told Klaus, with such conviction, that he deserved better, and maybe she was right. Tatia considered him hers, but did not allow him to claim her in the same manner. Expected devotion but did not return it. Klaus is not stupid, he is aware that he is not the only man who visits the woods with Tatia Petrova. He and Elijah do not speak of it, and Klaus has always hoped that she would choose him. But it has been months upon months, and still she dallies with them both.

"And if I asked you to be mine? Only mine. From now on?"

He watches her carefully, as he asks. Notes the tiny flickers that cross her face. The briefest instance of annoyance, a blink of shock. And then Tatia is all soft eyes and tempting smiles, "I need time, Niklaus. To make the best decision possible for my future. Surely you cannot begrudge me that? Not when we enjoy one another so."

He had hoped for a moment that her answer would be different. That Tatia _would_ choose him. The stab of disappointment is swift, and gut churning, but there is peace that comes after. He grasps her wrists, and steps aside, "I do not begrudge you that, Tatia. But I believe it may be time to consider my own future."

Klaus does not turn back, as he walks away. Not even when she calls after him, plaintive and dismayed. He feels lighter, with every step he takes.

* * *

Rebekah is the first to notice that something is different. She eyes him, narrow eyed and suspicious, for days before she corners him near the hearth, when the rest of the family is occupied. She speaks quickly, and quietly, "What has happened, Nik?"

He feigns confusion, "Nothing, sister. Why do you ask?"

Her face turns hard, "You have not been sneaking off, as you usually do. And Tatia Petrova has been giving me the blackest of looks at our every interaction, when before she was sugar sweet. Do you think me stupid?"

"Stupid, no. Meddlesome? Certainly." Rebekah scowls, but Klaus is unmoved. "It's none of your concern, Bekah. Truly."

"I will find out," she tells him threateningly, before she picks up the water buckets, and flounces outside.

Klaus helps himself to a bowl of stew, and a hunk of bread. He'll be kept busy in the stables for the remainder of the day, preparing the horses and supplies for a long journey. Mikael is leaving, heading south. It's an exploratory outing, to find new people to trade with. Elijah will accompany him this time, Finn being too busy courting a redhead from a nearby village. Kol will be going as well, which is considered a slight to Klaus by most.

But he does not mind. Is very much looking forward to Mikael's absence, and the small bit of breathing room it allows the family and Klaus in particular. Perhaps it is selfish, because his mother and Rebekah and Henrik worry. But Klaus cannot bring himself to feel guilt.

He has a plan brewing, has had little pieces of it coming together, ever since that night he had wandered out to the Forbes' land. And it will be easier to set in motion with his father not around to sabotage it.

If things go well Finn will not be the only Mikaelson introducing a bride to be to the family when they return from their voyage.

The first step of Klaus' plot requires Rebekah's assistance. Assistance that she cannot know she's providing. Klaus must be subtle, drop hints, steer her mind in the direction he needs it to go. He knows he has been successful, when she is up early one morning, speeding through chores she usually takes her time with.

"Why the haste, sister?" he asks innocently, holding back a smirk.

"I'm going to visit Caroline, after the mid-day meal. It has been ages since she's been able to come to town, and it will be even longer since harvest begins soon."

It's a trial, not to smile, at a job well done. "I will accompany you," he says firmly.

Rebekah shoots him an odd look, "Whatever for?"

He's already prepared a lie. "The full moon's in three days. There have been whispers of men from the wolves' village nearby. It may not be safe, Bekah. That small knife of yours will only do so much damage."

Rebekah's head whips to the side instinctively, checking that they are alone, "Hush, Nik. If father knew…"

Klaus makes a derisive noise, "As if I would break your confidence and tell _father_ ," he spits.

"I know," she says, relaxing somewhat. "He would just be so very angry with me. And with Caroline's mother. And likely Caroline. I couldn't bear it if he were to forbid me to see them, Nik."

"He will never hear it from me," Klaus vows. "I'll come and collect you later. Agreed?"

Rebekah doesn't look happy about it, and Klaus regrets infringing on her small freedoms, since she's allowed so few. But she nods. And Klaus leaves to complete his own duties.

* * *

Klaus is greeted with far less hostility this time, when he steps onto the property. The dogs seem pleased to see him and Rebekah both, barking happily and circling them with frantically wagging tails. Caroline sticks her head out of an upper level of one of the outbuildings, to check what the commotion is. She shades her eyes with a hand, and calls out questioningly, "Bekah?"

Rebekah waves, before turning to Klaus, and telling him dismissively, "You can go now, Nik. Collect me at supper, if you must continue to be overbearing." She strides towards Caroline without waiting for a reply.

Klaus thinks about admonishing her for her haughty tone, but he has another goal to complete. And it will be easier with both Rebekah and Caroline occupied.

He needs to find Caroline's mother, because Klaus has things he wishes to discuss with her.

* * *

It's not difficult to find Elizabeth Forbes. The farmhand Klaus had spoken to had given Klaus her direction without asking questions. She's in one of the larger barns, and looks up when he enters. A fleeting look of surprise crosses her face, and she says a few quiet words to the man who she'd been in discussion with, before coming to meet Klaus. She looks puzzled, and Klaus introduces himself, just to be on the safe side. She wouldn't be the first person to mistake him for one of his brothers, despite the fact that all are darker than he. "My name is Niklaus. I am…"

"Son of Mikael and Esther. Rebekah's older brother. You also had supper with my daughter, unsupervised, not long ago."

It has been years since Klaus has felt his face heat, but the arch look he's favored with changes that. "I did," Klaus confirms, dipping his head. "She was kind enough to offer. I meant no harm."

There is the slightest softening, and when Caroline's mother speaks again it's with a note of fondness, "Caroline said as much, when she told me of it. And I believe her. My daughter is not one to take slights kindly."

Klaus finds himself smiling, remembering the way Caroline had pushed back, and unable to conceal her fire in the face of his doubtful inquiries, for all that she was attempting to be agreeable. He remembers himself, and his purpose, when he finds Elizabeth Forbes' gaze has turned measuring. Klaus clears his throat. "She is certainly spirited."

"Some men wouldn't use that term in a complimentary manner, when speaking of a young woman. Your father amongst them."

"I am not my father," Klaus states firmly.

Klaus thinks he detects the faintest glimmer of respect, in Elizabeth Forbes' eyes. "Why have you sought me out, Niklaus?" she asks knowingly. And he realizes she must have had this conversation before.

He straightens, and speaks seriously, "I would like your permission to court your daughter."

She has no reaction for a long moment, her head tipping to the side, "You have lived in the village your entire life, is that true?"

It's not the question he'd been expecting. "Yes," he confirms. "My family moved here just before I was born."

"What do you know of running a farm?"

"Little," Klaus admits. "But I would learn."

She nods, like the answer had pleased her. "Next week. Come and work. I usually don't hire village boys, but we shall see how you do. Perhaps you will decide this is not the life for you. You will earn a fair wage, either way."

She turns to leave. "And if I do well?" Klaus ventures.

"Then you will have to speak with Caroline. It would be her life tied to yours. I think she should get a say, would you not agree?"

Klaus has to admit he has never really thought about it. He's a grown man, in the eyes of the village, capable of taking this action on his own. He knows that his father would not seek Rebekah's counsel, when it came time to choose his sister's husband.

But Klaus did not wish to group himself with his father in any matter. And had Caroline not shown that she knew her own mind, could read his accurately even, in their last conversation? Surely she knows what she wants in a husband better than her mother could.

"I will be here when harvest begins," Klaus vows.

Caroline's mother lets out a laugh, "I think you will find the work the least of your challenges, Niklaus."

Klaus isn't certain what she means, or of the source of her amusement. But with his plan in motion he's even more determined to find out.

* * *

Klaus wakes before the sun rises, on the day he's due to begin work at the Forbes' farm. It is cold, his breath visible as he trudges out of the village. He had told his mother and Finn what he'd be doing, had been met with surprise and disapproval. But neither had tried to dissuade him. Not that such an attempt would have been successful.

He makes good time, walking quickly to keep warm. He seems to be one of the first to have arrived and he pauses, not sure where he should go. The front door of the Forbes' home opens, and Caroline bustles out, a large pot gripped in her hands. She sees him immediately, and stumbles, liquid splashing onto the worn leather boots she wears. He's surprised at her clothing, the wool trousers and tunic, having never seen her in anything but a dress.

"Niklaus," she greets, her face open with surprise. "What brings you here?"

"Work," he answers, moving closer. "And you, Caroline."

She swallows, busies herself with setting down her burden, "My mother mentioned that you spoke with her."

"Did you think I would change my mind?"

Caroline whirls back towards the house, her steps determined, and Klaus follows. Her tone is brisk, "You have been obsessed with one woman, and one woman only, for ages now. One far more beautiful than I. I doubted a single conversation would change your mind. Thought it was just a passing fancy, that Tatia would ensnare you once again."

She doesn't look at him when she speaks, rummaging around and gathering cups. Klaus takes a stack from her hands. "And within that conversation, love, you proved that you know me better than most. Tell me, am I the sort of man who makes decisions lightly?"

Caroline still refuses to glance in his direction, and once again Klaus finds himself at her heels. He's dismayed to realize that they're no longer alone, that several men have shown up, and are milling about. Caroline smiles at them, and Klaus is less then pleased to note the way several eyes follow her movements covetously. Caroline seems oblivious, handing out cups and instructing the farmhands to help themselves to the warmed buttermilk in the pot.

Her fingers brush his when she hands him one, her blue eyes finally meeting his. She pauses, for several long moments, and Klaus reads the swirl of confusion in her expression without trouble.

And he vows to make his intentions perfectly clear before the end of the day.

* * *

It is backbreaking work but Klaus finds he does not hate it. There is something satisfying about watching the piles of grain grow, to know that it will be what feeds him, his family, and their village in the cold months to come. His body aches and he knows he will sleep well tonight, wonders if his mother will deign to make him some sort of remedy.

Elizabeth Forbes favors him with a nod of approval before she disappears into the house, after dismissing all the workers for the day.

Caroline lingers, tired and covered in dust. She's loosened her hair from the tight braids it had been caught up in and it's bright in the fading light. She's biting her lip, and her brows are furrowed. Every so often she opens her mouth. Klaus waits patiently knowing that she will only be able to swallow her words for so long. It's with a deep breath, and a forceful exhale that she finally cracks, "Why?" she blurts out. "Why me?"

Klaus grins, because it's an easy question to answer, "Because I had not noticed that you had grown up, Caroline. And once I really looked at you I found I did not want to look away. You are beautiful and lively and so very strong. Everything I could ever want."

She appears stunned for a moment, before she shakes her head and laughs. "I'm nothing special. I talk too much and I'm too free with my opinions. It's a good thing my mother can afford servants, because I burn everything I attempt to cook. You could do better in a wife."

Klaus steps forward, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He traces her jaw with his fingertip, nudging her chin up, "And you are the only person who would think that. I want you, Caroline. Your words and your mind and your heart."

"I…" she stutters for a moment, before her eyes shift to the side. She makes a noise of distress, grabbing his hand and pulling it up to her face to examine it. It's littered with little cuts and scrapes he'd gotten from the rough stalks and occasionally sharp leaves he had been handling all day. "These need to be cleaned," she tells him, just a touch scolding. "Honestly, Niklaus. Your mother's a healer. You should know better."

She's pulling him around back before he can tell her that the wounds are nothing, leading him to a well and pinning him with a demanding look. "Wait here," she tells him. "I'll be back in a moment."

She darts away, heading towards the house. Klaus pulls up a bucket of water, guessing her aim. She'll not be happy about it, but he's truly not injured, has long since adjusted to the pulling and mild stinging of his cracked skin. He's weathered far worse pain, after all.

Sure enough she glares at the water he's raised and at him in turn, her lips pressed together. "Sit down," she instructs, in a tone that tells Klaus she'll accept no arguments. He lowers himself to the ground, leaning against the stone of the well. She seats herself beside him, and takes his hand again, setting it one her thigh.

And Klaus is distracted for a moment, by her warmth. It's a struggle not to flex his fingers, to test the feel of her, with only a layer of fabric separating her skin from his. She's gentle, and careful, rubbing away dirt with a soft scrap of fabric. She's gathered her hair over one shoulder, and he itches to reach out and touch the bared skin of her neck, to know if it's as soft as the rest of her. He lets out a hiss, because he'd not noted her opening a jar, coating her fingers in some sort of salve, and spreading it on his skin. It's cool and tingles faintly but feels pleasant after a moment. But perhaps that's just her hands rubbing it into his flesh.

"It will get better, if you continue," she tells him absently, focused on her work. "The skin will toughen, won't break so easily."

"I plan to," Klaus says. "I'll be a proper farmer by the end of the week."

Caroline bites her lip, but Klaus sees the smile around the edges. "I guess we will see."

It is an opening, one Klaus is thrilled by. He's determined that she _will_ see. That Caroline will come to understand that he's serious about wanting her, firm in his plans to court her. He senses it will be a challenge, and he understands what her mother had meant with that final, cryptic remark. But Klaus had never shied away from difficulties, and he'll not start now. Not when the end goal is Caroline, her warmth and her tenderness, and all her endless light.


End file.
